The present invention relates generally to the field of vehicle seat belt assemblies, specifically seat belt buckles and buckle straps.
Seat belt designs have been known to use a buckle strap to connect a seat belt buckle to a portion of a vehicle seat or other vehicle structure. As shown in FIG. 1, current designs include a buckle strap 50 consisting of a single plate member connected to a buckle frame 40 by an attaching rivet 60 so as to form a single shear connection. As shown in FIG. 2, current designs also utilize a webbing 70 looped at one end through an opening in a buckle frame 80. The webbing 70 may then be fastened at another end to a portion of the vehicle seat or vehicle structure. There is a need for a seat belt design which provides a seat belt buckle and buckle frame with increased strength and improved energy absorbing capability with regard to current designs.